Royal City Record March 2 2011

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011

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The easy way Brown vs white: Craig Brown brought out his new snow blower to take care of the snow outside his home near the intersection of First Street and Third Avenue. The City of New Westminster had between two and six vehicles working 24 hours a day salting and cleaning roads during the weekend snowfall. Larry Wright/THE RECORD

Tim Hortons doubles as an ER BY BRENT RICHTER REPORTER brichter@royalcityrecord.com

With an overflowing emergency room and surrounding hallways, staff at Royal Columbian Hospital turned to the adjacent Tim Hortons cafeteria as a space to treat patients Monday night. David Plug, director of public affairs for Fraser Health, said the RCH’s emergency ward was experiencing a busier than normal night and set up six stretchers with medical equipment and privacy screens in the dining area for three hours. “The doctors and nurses had to deal with congestion and prepare for potentially more so they went to a non-clinical

area,” Plug said. “We do have plans so that if there is a significant accident or emergency, the emergency department can expand into non-clinical areas. This was an unusual one. This is not a designated overflow area for day-to-day use.” Plug said the impromptu treatment area was only used by four patients for a total time of one-and-a-half hours. He said some patients commented that it was a better environment for treatment than an open area or hallway where there is more noise and less privacy. “Ideally we’d like to have them in the emergency department,” he said. “This was the next-best option.” Plug said the dining area had been

cleaned before patients were transferred there and no infectious diseases were present. Asked if the patients were put-off about being treated in the same place they might order a double-double, Plug said the response from patients was not entirely positive. “Certainly, opposed to a corridor or other non-clinical area, it got some more attention and comments,” he said. “The situation is not ideal, but we thank them for their patience and understanding and our doctors and nurses worked really hard to make sure they got safe and appropriate care,” he said. Overcrowding at RCH’s emergency

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room has been endemic over the years, prompting frustration from ER doctors and staff. Fraser Health has been working on the conceptual phase of an expansion and redevelopment for the hospital but Plug said it is too soon to suggest a timeline for the project. “We hope to get it to a level of detail where we can submit it and get approval from the government to proceed. That would be a big improvement for health care in our region,” he said. “It is our topmost priority but it is dependent upon the completion of the proposal and government approvals.” Plug said he hopes the appointment

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